JAPANESE cyclist Keiko Sugiura, 52, emerged as a strong medal contender at the ongoing Hangzhou Asian Para Games after she clinched two medals and broke the Games record twice.

Sugiura claimed a silver medal in the women’s C1-3 3,000m individual pursuit Monday after dashing the previous C3 class record in the qualifying round in the morning.

In the women’s C1-3 500m time trial the following day, Sugiura clinched bronze and set a new Asian Para Games record for the C3 class with a time of 39.995 seconds.

A longtime cycling enthusiast, Sugiura was injured during a road race, resulting in a series of multiple contusions, crushed fractures, brain dysfunction and other injuries.

During her rehabilitation, Sugiura picked up para-cycling and returned to the road afterward. In 2021, Sugiura won the women’s C1-5 time trial at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, becoming Japan’s oldest-ever para gold medalist.(Xinhua)